About five years ago now, Officer William Mast Jr. was shot in the line of duty. Eli Peltz heard the news that same day from his neighbor, a social worker at the Watauga County Sheriff’s office. It was a dark moment for the Watauga community, the type of moment rarely felt in our mountain towns. As Watauga grieved the loss of one of its own, Eli felt a deeper connection with his community and was stirred to action.

“My heart just melted the next day when I saw an officer going about his normal duties. I realized that he may have a family that’s scared for him to go in to work that day. I realized how deeply this affected our community, yet there seemed to be a lack of connection between local communities.

Eli wanted to do something to bring people closer together and give back to the men and women who give themselves for the High Country. Eli didn’t think running for office was the right choice for him, so he set out to create a place that could make a positive impact in the community. This is how the Myo Clinic was born. The Myo Clinic was a center for encouraging health and wellness, especially through massage therapy. Over the past five years, the Myo Clinic has spent greater than 3,000 hours massaging the citizens of Watauga County, including sheriffs, police, state troopers and firemen. Eli feels that these people are what binds a community together and wants to continue with his original mission, to preserve the community through health and wellness.

“If we can relieve just a little suffering, whether it’s fixing an injured shoulder, aiding in proper digestion, or just helping someone to breathe a little easier, we can feel good about a day’s work. I hope this gets taken up everywhere, this project, so that everyone is looking out for everyone else.”

In the past year, Eli has made a number of changes in his practice, expanding it to include new services provided by highly skilled members of the Alchemy family. It’s for this reason that the name was changed. Alchemy, Center for Healing Therapies is where eastern and western medicine meet.